District reaches labor deal with employees
The Redondo Beach Unified School District approved its tentative agreements with its three employee groups during the Oct. 22 meeting of the district’s Board of Education.
RBUSD agreed to employee pay increases of 1.25 percent across all bargaining units, including a signing bonus of 0.25 percent of their 2019-20 salaries, due by the end of the school year.
The decision comes after an extended period of negotiation that included a show of strength at last month’s meeting, where members of the Redondo Beach Teachers Association demonstrated, asking the district to help its teachers defray increasing health care costs, with some teachers stating their net pay would decrease by as much as $380 compared to last year.
Compared to last year, healthcare premiums for teachers went up by as much as 16.6 percent for the most expensive health care packages. In response, the district increased its contribution to employee health plans by 7.58 percent.
“As you know, this is something that our members were passionate about, and we appreciate their voices in this matter,” said Monica Joyce, RBTA President. “One of the biggest times that faced us this bargaining season was the cost of health care, so that’s will continue to be something we’re really focused on, in being able to provide the best healthcare to our members that we can afford.”
RBTA also won limits tightening class sizes, clarifications about teacher substitutions and new language related to using sick leave in association with parental leave. Redondo Union High School’s football coach is also seeing an increase in stipends, from $150 per season to $100 per game, while elementary and middle school robotics coaches will receive $600 per team.
The district’s classified employees and members of the American Federation of Teachers also agreed to language that codifies union onboarding access for new district employees.
According to RBUSD’s California School Employees Association President Kenny Pearson, his members unanimously voted to ratify their agreement.
“We continue to fight the cost of inflation…in CSEA, we make the least, so inflation affects us the most,” Pearson said, thanking the board for coming to an agreement.